Grave closure



y March 179, 1929. y

J. H.l scHRoEDER 1 1,705,278@

GRAVE CLOSURE Filed $6131.25, 192.5 j Sheets-sheet 1 March 19, 1929. J, H SCHROEDER 1,705,786

GRAVE CLOSURE Filed Sept. 23, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 45 gi; d @a 52 .36 57 Z6 d@ @E J l@ 13 6 4Z 14 24 lz n v )1 S 5 :59 l` 3g 33 /625 Z7 Z6 z8 ZZ. )76. 3' A G .zz 5d Y Za za 19 37 4544 5625 4Z Z8 V I l/l invention;

Patented Mar. 19, 1929. i

` 1 narran jsTAifiElSQ' JOHN H. scnnonnnn, or' ciicAGo, I'Liiiiiois- GRAVE onos'uitii!` Appiication niet september 23, i925.l serai No. Sasser My invention relatesv toV vgraveclosures adapted to be employed during the burial of persons in the earth, and yhas for one of its objects the provision of means for concealing the opening inthe earth whilethe casket containing the corpseis positioned thereover. f Another object of my invention is the provision of means for simultaneously closing'.

the grave while lthe casket is being lowered thereinto to conceal the lowering operation from thevsight of the mourners.

Other objects of my invention will appear hereinafter, the novel'features and combina-` tions being set forth in the appended claims. f.

concealing apparatus embodying my inven tion and having a casket thereon in position to Vbe lowered iii-to the grave;

Fig. 4 is an elevationalV endviewfof a casket lowering device equipped with grave conceal j ing apparatus and al sectional end View of a Agrave and a grave box showing Vat casket positioned in the latter and the-concealing apparatus disposed over the opening of the',ik

' the plateA 1 9. is positioned vertically upward. 1

Apair of ysimilar plates 22 and23 are also -rigidlyiixed at right ang-les to eachother and 'Orave v f K t? u 7 I u n y Fig. 5 is a top plan view of casket lowering apparatusequipped'with a modifiedv form of the grave concealing device embodying my `Fig. 6 is a sectionalendview ofthe grave concealing device illustrated in Fig. 5 'showing` an end-view of a. casket positioned within edge 27 of tliehorizontalv plate 18.' 1 Thus,it

a grave.

Referring more particularly Vto of .p i Y is placed on the lowering apparatus and While it rests Vthereon above the earth the horizontal L the drawings, it willbe seen-.thatl the grave lowering device whichis of well known'construction comprisesy a rectangi'ilar frame 13v having end barsA 5 and 6 and rotatable side. bars 7 and 8. The xed end bars 5 fand Gare secured at their extremities.Vv in the dome-- shaped posts .9, 10, 11 and-12which are posi-= tioned at each corner ,of the Vreetangular;V

frame. rThe rotatable side bars andfS are journalled at tlieirextiemities inthe openings l in thedome-shaped post-s. The bottom surfaces ofthe posts9, 10, 11 and 12. areshown in Figs. 2', 3 and 4t to bejflat and'vadapted'to trolling the rotation ofthe side bars 7 and 8 to' attain a slow andeveii or constant-.rate ofl movement thereof. The lfoot pedal 42"is con nectedv torthegearing in the doine-shaped postI`v 11 and is vadapted to release the gearing tot.

permit rotation of the side bars-v7. andSfand to restrain such gearing from movement when it 'is desired to -stop the rotation of the' sidev bars.

intermediate to the ends of the side bars 7 and 8.. -lt will be seen in Figlll that the straps are of sufficient length to lower a casket 17;to e the bottom of agrave. When-the casket 17 ,is l'.

l tion comprises plates 18,and `19ri`gidly fixed at.V right ,angles to each other and provided with spring clips 24 andf25 which' snapove'r the bar k8,;as shown in Figs. 1, andy 2'. `The` plate 18'v extends horizontally over substan- 1 rest upon the ground at the ends of the grave.v i, i

The posts 9, 10, yl1 and 12 are provided with 5 gearing,not shown in the drawings, for .con-

vStraps andy 16 are securely'attached at ltheir ends to the's'ide bars 7. and 8. These 'straps extend across the length of the frame- 13 and are positioned at spaced-apart pointsllV tially one-half of the width of the grave, and f areattached to the other `side (bar 7 by'` spring I clips 20 and21. l The plate-22 extendshorif '.'grave and the longitudinal edge' 26- thereof lies substantially adjacent the longitudinal should be understood that before the casket plates18 and 22 extend across the opening-of "the grave and completely conceal thegaping mouth 'thereof from the view of theinournersa i Ornamental material 28, such as imitation grass, is preferably disposed over the upper surfaces of the plates'18 and 22and'extends upwardly yover the'inner andV 'outer vertical imitation grass is preferablyin the form of blankets 45 and 46 which are secured at 47 and 'is in the position shown in Fig. 1.

48 respectively, to the vertical walls of the y plates 19 and 23 and hang over the latter and into the grave, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The imitation grass mats 45 and 46 are eX- tended sufficient distances into the grave so as to cover the lower surfaces ot the horizonln order that the device may be employed to conceal graves of dilioerent sizes the plates 18, 19, 22 and 28 respectively are provided with telescoping sections 31, 32, 88 and 84. rl'hese sections may loe'extended or retracted to correspond with Athe dimensions of the grave so that no portion et the opening thereof will be left uncovered. Pins 35 are preferably provided. to holdthe telescioping sections in their yadjusted position and may lie-inserted in openings or holes in the tongues 6,` 37, 38 and 39, ot the telescoping sections.

'.l`o facilitate transportation et the cover ing apparatus the plates 18 and 22 are each divided into two sections whichl are joined by hinges 40 and 41, respectively. These sections may be 'folded substantially'together to produce a compact arrangement that may he lifted andloaded into a vehicle with Vlittle difficulty.

ln operation, the casket is straps 15 and 16 while the covering apparatus rlhe casket is supported entirely by the straps which are coiled, as shown in Fig. 2, upon the hars .7 and 8. lVhen the 'foot pedal 42 is pressed it releases the gearingin the dome-shaped .post rl1 andthe casket to slowly descend into the grave.

16 to beV uncoiled resultiiig in an inward rotation ofthe bars 7 and 8. rlhe toot pedal 42, when in its uppermost position, is adapted to lock the gearing in thc dome l1' so that the bars 7 and 8 will be restrained 'froml rotation. lowermost position the gearing in the dome 11l is unlocked and the bars are tree to he rotated by the weight of the casket and by the downward movement thereof.

` As the casket descends the bottom thereof engages the top of the horizontal plates 1 8 and 22 andcauses the grave concealing apparatus to he rotated inwardly. Stops 48 and 44 are preferal placed upon th e rllhis downward movement ot the casket causes the'ends oil' the'straps 15 and While the toet lever is held in its A ly secured to each et the I ends oit the plates 1 and 23, as shown in Fig.

1, to engage the fixed end bars when these plates reach their horizontal positions. These stops are illustrated at 48 and 44 of Fig. 1 by dotted lines in engagement with the end bars 5 Aand 6, As casket descends the vertical plates 19 and 28 are rotated inwardly to cover the opening or mouth of the grave so that the lowering operation will not he visible te the mourners. By the time the casket has reachedfthe dotted line position, shown at 49 in Fig. 4, the plates 19 and 23 are extended over the opening 'of the grave and thus 'further downward nioven'ient of the casket isv rendered invisible. Y

The straps 15 and 16 may be moved from beneath the casket atter it has been lowered to "'l i 'F ill .x 0.x". 3 c*3 ,7 r 4 ne ina .ine posicion shown in ig. ns removal may be accomplished by'permitting the casket to rest upon the cleats 45 within ther grave box 50 so that the straps maybe easily slipped over and around theends the casket. The lever or crank 14 ymay then be employed to recoil or wind up and lift the straps iroin within the grave. Y I, The spring clips, 20, 21, 24 and 25 are an' ranged so that the open side thereof is directed downwardly when the plates are in the position shown in Fig. 4 so that the plates may be lifted upwardly to disconnect them from vthe hars of the lowering` device. This sirrangement i s p reifer will not be necessa to disasseinble voi alter any of the elementso'li the lowering appa'- ratus'in order to attach or detach the covering members.

The torni of my invention disclosed ,in Figs. 5 and 6 coniprisesa` pair Vo'i cloth or :tabric covered cover plates 50 and51niount to the apparatus shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4. This torni of my invention employs lia't cennter-weighted covering members adapted to be disposed over the opening oit a grave while a casket is placed. thereover for the purpose of oliscurin the gaping n'iouth of such grave trom the view ot the mourners. 7 i tet'erring more particularly to Fig. 5 oiA the drawings, it will loe seen that the cover plates 50 and 51 comprise trames 52 and53 respectively and that such trames are provided wit'h covering material such vas imita tion grass 58. rthe Jr'rames 52 and 58 are pioi vided with longi'n ral members 59 and 5" 'respectively which are of sufficient weight to are secured Vat right angles to the other 'ably provided so that it ed on a grave lowering apparatus identical Y A series of arms 60, 61,. 62, Q

couiiterweight59 in registration with the y arms 60, 61. 62, 68, 64 and 65 ot tlie'traine 53. Spring clips 54 and 55 are attachedto the 59 of the frame 52y at the ends thereof.- 1- These spring clips are adapted to rotatably support the entire covering `member on the side bar 7 of the lowering apparatus. A pair of similar clips 56 and 57r are attached to the counterweight 59 for the purpose of mounting the cover plate 51 o n the side bar 8 of the lowering apparatus. Braces 66 are attached to each of the clips' 54:, 55, 56, and 57 and their respective counterweights, by ymeans of bolts 67 and 68. These braces secure the clips in place and are adapted to support much of the weight of the cover plates when the latter are rotated intov the vertical position shown by dotted lines at 69`and 70. I Straps 15 and 16 are shown in Fig. 5 and are for the purpose of supporting a casket in the manner disclosed in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4. The arms 61 and 62 of the frame 52 are positioned oneV on each side and immediately yadjacent the strap 16 and the arms 63 and 54 are positioned one on each side and immediately adjacent the strap 5. kThese arms are provided with short flexible lingers 71 which preferably comprise thin spring steel. The fingers 71 extend beneath the straps and across the slot 72 between the two arms 61 and 62 for the purpose of supporting the covering material 58 and to hold the latter infplace so as to form an apparently continuous layer or sheet.V The covering material 58 is preferably tacked to the fingers 71 as shown at 73 in Fig. 5. This arrangement permits the covering plates to be returned to their horizontal position after the casket has been lowered to the dotted line position shown at 74 in Fig. 6, in a manner hereinafter-described.

1n operation, the casketl is placed uponvthe straps 15 and 16 while the covering device is Y in the position showny in Fig. 5. The casket is supported entirely by thev straps which are coiled upon the bars 7 and 8. When the foot pedal 42 is pressed it releases the gearing in the dome-shaped post or housing 11 and permits the casket to slowly descend into the grave. While the foot lever is` held in its lowermost position the gearing in the housing V1l is unlocked and theV braces are free to be rotated by the weight of the casket and by the downward movement thereof. y

As the casket descends the bottom thereof engages the top of the horizontal covering plates 50 and 51 and causes the grave concealing apparatus to be rotated downwardly.

to the dotted lineposition shown in Fig. 6. These plates are held in substantially vertical position while the casket .descends and are then rotated back-again into'a horizontal position by the ceunterweights 59 and 59. The

flexible lingers 71 permit the plates 50 and 51 to be rotated upwardly into la horizontal position while the straps 15 and 164 depend into the grave as shown in Fig. 6. The flexible fingers are adaptedk to bend sufficiently to al- Y lowI theV straps to pass through theslot- 72. When the plates have reached'their horizontal'fpositionA the flexible lingers Vresume their original shapey and stretch 4the covering material 58 over the gap 72 thus affording an apparently continuous blanketgof imitation grass. The edges of the plates '51 and 56 may be permitted to overlap as shown at 75 in Fig. 6 for the purpose of adapting the device togravesof various widths.

Obviously those skilled in the art may lmake various changes in the details and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as decomprisingv spring clips for gripping said: 5.

bars to cause rotation of said covering means f in unison therewith during a portion of one rotation thereof,said clips being adapted to permit continued rotation of said bars whiley said covering means are held at rest.

2. The combination with aV casket lowering device comprising rotatable members, of

'means supportedbysaid rotatable members for covering a grave, stops on said covering means lto engage said lowering device when said covering means are in a predetermined position, and detachable clipping means se' cured to said covering means adaptedto grip said rotatable "member for rotating said covering means in unison therewith.

3. The combination of means for lowering a casket into agrave, and covering means comprising pairs yof plates fixed at right angles to each other, one of the plates of each.- of said pairs of plates. being adapted to cover half of the mouth of'said grave while the vcasket is retained thereover, the other plate of each of said pairs of plates beingadapted to cover the mouth of the grave after the casket is lowered thereinto.

vgrave comprising horizontal plates extending kbeneath said casket when the latter is positioned above the opening of said grave, plates fixed at right angles to said vhorizontal plates and extending upwardlyy therefrom, and means for automatically causing said horizontal plates to rotate from beneath said casket as the latter is lowered and to cause said upright plates to rotate inwardly to cover the opening of saidgraveafter the casket has .beenlowe'red thereinto.

5. A grave closure for concealing the openlng of a grave While the casket is placed there fixed plates adapted to permit said horizontal plates to be rotated from beneath `said casket While said vertical plates areA moved to a position thereover.

In testimony whereof I have signed my, Y

name to this specification on this 21st day oi" September, A. D. 1925.

JOHN n. sonnonnnn. 

